Learning Support
Learning Support - 'It's a huge strength here' (Good Schools Guide)
Ewell Castle School provides a modified curriculum which, by its very nature, pays close attention to the needs of the individual, facilitated by small class sizes. We are inclusive in our approach and those pupils, who the school believes would benefit from the education that Ewell Castle is able to provide, will not be denied access because of a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND) (See Admission’s Policy).
The department is led by the Director of Learning Support, Learning Support Teachers (LSTs), Learning Support Assistants (LSAs), a mentor who specialises in the Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and an Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA)
We have access to a peripatetic Speech and Language Therapist (S<) and an Occupational Therapist (OT)
Learning support is provided to pupils in the following ways:
Identifying and assessing individual pupils’ needs through screening and/or assessments by specialist teachers.
Monitoring of individual pupil progress and planning of interventions at relevant stages.
Individual or small group tuition led by specialist teachers to support academic progress.
Social Skills and Executive Functioning Skills to support communication, working memory, organisation, and cognitive flexibility.
Bespoke training for all teachers to promote knowledge and develop strategies regarding the range of barriers both academic and social pupils' encounter. Teachers have the skills to respond to the needs of the pupil and adapt teaching and resources appropriately.
Identified in class support, where resources allow, from Learning Support Assistants (LSAs) who have a range of skills and training to support pupils directly and indirectly whilst also assisting staff and liaising with parents.
Individual/ Small Group Tuition
These are bespoke sessions delivered in response to initial assessment and in liaison with subject teachers, parent and pupil.
To facilitate this, in the lower school, a pupil is withdrawn from an agreed subject, usually a creative subject or by opting to take one rather than two modern languages.
In the upper school, the pupils can choose to take Learning Support as one of their options, securing at least one session with a specialist teacher in Literacy, Maths, or Study Skills and at least one session in supervised study. The supervised study sessions are useful for meeting the rigorous demands of coursework during the GCSE years.
Individual/Group Tuition sessions are charged at an extra cost, except those led by Learning Support Assistants.
Miss S Kuti
BA, QTS, PGCert NASENCO
Director of Learning Support (Whole School)